Witchcraft Murders

In June 1887, Poverty Bay
was gripped in a sensational case of witchcraft and murder. Four
young Maori men- Aporo Paerata, Te Hau Porourangi, Te Uri Maerenga
and Erena Parewhai- were on trial for the double murder of 60-year
old Jeremiah Noko (Nuku) and his wife Hiria. Along with the rest of
the tribe, the four young men believed that the pair had fatally
bewitched a 70-year old man named Pareka, who had reportedly been in
good health until Noko told him that he would die in three days. The
tribe alleged that Noko had sent an evil spirit into a small hole
near where Pareka sat. The young men responded by fatally shooting
the sleeping couple on January 29th, 1887 at Pahatikotiko,
and then allegedly setting fire to their hut. Aporo Paerata, Te Hau
Porourangi, Te Uri Maerenga were convicted and sentenced to death,
and Erena Parewhai was acquitted.

Maori from all over New
Zealand responded in outrage to the convictions. Petitions poured
into the Government from all over the country urging that the
prisoners should be released on the following grounds: (1) That they
had acted only in accordance with the laws of their forefathers; (2)
that, if the responsibility rested anywhere, it rested on the tribe
as a whole; and (3) that no proof had been adduced as to who was the
actual murderer. The death sentences for all three prisoners were
subsequently reduced to life sentences, although the prisoners were
released after five years for exemplary behaviour.